The move has raised questions about GE's pledges to create rather than destroy jobs.

The French government had been concerned that the 17 billion US dollar Alstom takeover deal in 2014 would cause job cuts. To ease those concerns, GE pledged to create 1,000 net jobs in France.

Spokesman Laurent Wormser said GE would stick to that pledge. The current cuts include 765 positions in France, primarily administrative jobs in the Paris region, and will be replaced with jobs in other sectors of the company's France operations, he said.

The company currently employs 14,000 people in France.

The purchase was part of GE's focus on building and servicing industrial equipment.